aurora / northerner
das Nordlicht, die Nordlichter
Loading your saved state.
aurora borealis
A colorful luminous phenomenon in the night sky near the North Pole, caused by processes in the Earth's atmosphere.
In klaren Nächten kann man im Norden manchmal das Nordlicht sehen.
On clear nights, you can sometimes see the aurora borealis in the north.
northerner
A person from the north, especially northern Germany; this term is usually colloquial.
Als echtes Nordlicht liebt sie das raue Klima an der Küste.
As a true northerner, she loves the harsh coastal climate.
| gender | neuter das |
|---|---|
| plural | die Nordlichter |
| genitive | des Nordlichtes |
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | das Nordlicht | die Nordlichter |
| accusative | das Nordlicht | die Nordlichter |
| dative | dem Nordlicht | den Nordlichtern |
| genitive | des Nordlichtes des Nordlichts | der Nordlichter |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
'Nordlicht' (aurora / northerner) is made up of 'Nord' (north) and 'Licht' (light). The compound therefore describes a light associated with the north.
Das Nordlicht erschien plötzlich über dem dunklen Meer.
The aurora suddenly appeared over the dark sea.
When it means the celestial phenomenon, 'Nordlicht' (aurora borealis) commonly occurs with verbs such as 'sehen' (to see), 'beobachten' (to observe), and 'fotografieren' (to photograph). Color descriptions such as 'grünes Nordlicht' (green aurora) or 'rotes Nordlicht' (red aurora) are also common.
Viele Reisende wollen ein grünes Nordlicht fotografieren.
Many travelers want to photograph a green aurora.
You can recognize the celestial-phenomenon meaning of 'Nordlicht' (aurora borealis) from words related to the night and sky, such as 'Nachthimmel' (night sky), 'leuchten' (to glow), 'Farben' (colors), or 'beobachten' (to observe). References to a person or their origin indicate the other meaning.
Wir standen lange draußen und beobachteten das Nordlicht am Nachthimmel.
We stood outside for a long time and watched the aurora in the night sky.
The meaning referring to a person is usually colloquial and especially describes someone from the north. 'Nordlicht' (northerner) is often used with 'echt' (true) or 'typisch' (typical).
Mein neuer Kollege ist ein typisches Nordlicht: wortkarg, aber sehr herzlich.
My new colleague is a typical northerner: taciturn but very warm-hearted.
